Duraglit shareholder Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 1 hour ago, Kinky Afro said: I am sure there will be season reviews and moments of matches mentioned that make me smile and remember and lament. You can look back at a period of your life and despite the trials and tribulations and ups and downs over undulations and through dark times and light, even when it turns out alright, it can leave you with so many feelings that you don’t know whether you feel good or bad or somewhere in between. It can take a while for me to reflect and digest and store my minds eye, an acute and often critical master, but my closest and dearest friend. I thrive on the immersion of football and like a sponge, I soak it up. I look and listen and feel and when I have gathered all the information I reflect and sort it and look for links and order and reason and humour and wit and fun. Sometimes it is difficult and my own dark skies cloud up and block out the radiance of the day.. I know that and I accept it and every day is a battle, but one I win more often than not now. If “Any port in a storm” is the cry then I find mine in the high walls and calm waters of this game we all share. I know I have it to come back to when the sea gets choppy or I spring a leak or the old engine packs in. I don’t want to sink, I want to keep floating for a while yet.... I have some great places to sail to in the next few years, my football life is joyous and busy right now and I am proud of what I do, an x marks the spot on my chart and I refuse to let anything stop me. I have managed to navigate the storms and dangerous waters and despite hitting the rocks at times, the Roch has saved me this season. It has given me a purpose and sanctuary where I could spend precious times with my auld man and speak to him about something he understands and loves and share the most basic of human requirements, to be loved. Never underestimate what some people find in this game we all moan at and castigate and bitch about. It can save you. I’m a Candy Bitch and I say it proudly..... Cars stretch as far as the eyes can see (well, the old Ranza anyway) as I pull up and park on Royston Road at 630. I walk fast, the path trodden by hundreds of thousands before me across the years, I feel part of something and tonight could be the night. My auld man has the coffees in but I have a 10 minute talk in with the usual suspects as I enter the gate, we are mobbed already.... it is noise and colour and hopes and dreams, it is everything football should be and everything it is for me. I spot Stuart carrying 2 huge fireworks. I ask if I can take his picture, “A Glesga 2 bob rocket wae 2 rockets”. He gives me stick back and we all laugh. There is a nervous excitement in the air, I hoped his rockets would be joining it later. As I mentioned Stuart, a quick word here about the vocal and more colourful Candy fans and the unwarranted stick they have received again this season from some. Like all people let alone football fans, there is an edge to some. They can been seen by strangers as loud and raucous and a potential incident waiting to happen. Stuart and his mates stand to the left of the dug out and shout and support and moan at times and criticise and encourage and do what football fans should do, care about their team. I don’t care who you support, you could do with fans like these. I speak to Stuart and we talk about the game and he talks sensibly and passionately and rationally.. he and his merry band of men can be loud... but who wants quiet fans? I congratulate them for their support and hope they enjoy the new grounds and teams and the fun of the Super League. I’ve already written loads and I am not even at the bit where after a coffee and a chat with some Wishae lads in the clubhouse, all of us lamenting the punch drunk players as they entered the old skool boxing 15th round where there were often knockouts and bout winning moments, where the brave of heart and steel willed warriors were the only victors. It takes something special to be relentless and I think we have been recently. A tribe transformed and whipped into shape and discipline and belief and allowed to flourish and express themselves, allowed to lose, draw and win. Credit to the gaffer.. anyway... I get summonsed to help at the gate where Paul is getting over ran. Tam the taxi is standing outside stoking up the fires of our gateman’s frustration as he shouts “git a hurry oan. These lads ur wanting in fur kick aff”. He smokes another fag and chuckles. The crowds flood in. Under 16s are free and I could over 50 come in during the 15 mins I’m there. A couple of hundred adults come in, loads of pensioners, men and women, every one told to “enjoy the game” as they pay their ££ or get in for free. It is a huge crowd and as I stood just before half time, Tracy from the kicthen walks by and says “we have nearly sold everything already. Im just back from ASDA so all we have is warm cans and cauld pies!” “No change there then” cracks a Candy comedian. We are a cracking wee club when we do things right and the anticipation was building. Sun splitting the sky and green field stretching before you with hundreds lining the terrace and as you parted with your fiver and entered, there was a buzz and an aliveness that I seldom see in Junior football. It had everything to be a marvellous night and all we needed was a performance... the teams ran out and I walked to my spot by the dug out, it was mobbed already but I got my place just as we kicked off. I started the 45 min count down on my phone and settled in for my journey to the Promised Land.... We started well but I could tell Wishae were a decent side. They were better than anything we had played and beaten on our previous 4 game in 9 days midweek away games which had taken us to the brink. We went one up with a penalty then could have gone 2 up but for a poor finish/great save (delete as you find) and then we sat back. I was going to say we didn’t defend well but I’ll change that to we defended quite well considering the positions we took up. It is easy to look on and say we should push up or hold our line or stay goal side... the lads are what they are and all I ask for as a fan is 100% effort. If you are out of position or struggling then you need your mates to dig you out. We did that last night and that got us through. They were the better team in the first half, the last 20 mins especially and they got a penalty themselves and a strange sight as their keeper walked up and slotted coolly into the corner to make it 1-1. This prompted the twinkle toed Wayne Sleep right back to start mouthing over the the candy fans beside me on the terrace. “Git it up yay” was his cry and whilst I don’t mind any banter, it isn’t a wise move as a player to get involved with the opposition fans.. and so it proved. We started the second half well and after a Logie Lob rebounded off the bar, Wee Darn nodded into the empty net and the ground erupted. Posh people only use the downstairs loo for a Number 1, however this Wee Number 2 got some shite. He became the object of some hilarious stick which had them Rocking in the Roch aisles courtesy of John, the bespectacled barracker of fan engaging players. Not the first time this season but with a bigger audience his turn went down a treat with the Candy faithful. The fans were happy but nervous. It was a game where we knew a win would take us up and make us champions if Rossvale don’t win on Saturday, but I didn’t want to even think what a draw would do. A nervous final 20 mins mirrors the dimming light and as the long shadows of tension fade to the early dusk of realisation, Calm and Composed Candy Chaps in the defence show their green colours and head everything and clear everything and win everything. Tam Hanlon shows why when he screws the nut he is an invaluable piece of the Roch jigsaw, Big Bryson and Bull are excellent and Berto has the assurity you only seem to see with a cultured left footer. Kieron Daw leads the team terrier like and Rees does his bit in an unusual right side role. Darn scored and runs about busy and wee Ryan is his usual hard working self. Logie gets little joy but his goals have got us up. The subs come on and do their bit, Big Steph clears another 3 into the trees and breaks up play and stops move with clever fouls. Starkie is safe in goal but I saw an outstanding performance last night in my eyes. A player who looked Johnny Average to me earlier in the season but who I have saw over the last month turn in a standard of play that has delighted me and impressed immensely. Paul Tierney has held our team together in more games than I can remember. As a fellow member of the DCHS.. Dirty Centre Half Society.. I have been impressed by his talking and organisation skills, he never gets caught on the ball, he clears his lines, never gets caught on the wrong side, wins more headers than he should for someone his size and he manages the back 4 like an old chess master. When the shit is hitting the fan as a centre back the way you get through it is by staying calm and keeping your shape, winning your battles and clearing your lines and getting others to work. He does that, often under the average fans radar, but not mine. You have been an absolute credit to yourself young man.... The final whistle goes and the Candy players huddle and bounce, the fans rejoice and the management team embrace. The kids run onto the pitch and join in. How many of them in the years to come will remember the joy of last night? I walk round to get my auld man and he is smiling. I see Bertie Auld with teeth at least 70 years younger than he is and we share a picture. I say to Bertie “Cracking result. We battled hard” and he replied “You have to do that at all levels big man. You win nothing without heart”. It felt great to hear from the mouth of a legend a mantra I hold true. It takes more than being able to play well to be a good player. I congratulate the gaffer and the players and the staff as they walk off, green flares and fireworks going off all around us. The Rocket’s industrial sized rockets are sent skyward and explode to a load cheer from below and panic at Glasgow airport air traffic control. He is Candy, He don’t care. My auld man stumbles as we head back to the car.. he wouldn’t have been the only one staggering and stumbling as he left. We were promotion drunk and our usual 2 min walk to the car was 15 mins as we shook hands and walked the long long longer than usual way past the shrinking line of parked cars to mine, I got in and sat down. I dropped him off and collected mini me and got home and sat down. Mini me goes upstairs and I’m sat down, on my own, no noise and just my thoughts. My harbour from the choppy seas. The calm and safety and solitude of post football come down. I’ve gone from St James’ Park to StRochs and the Premier league to the Super League in 24 hours. A fan is a fan and a football fan am I. A Common Man, A Man For All Season. Who wants More? With the Candyman curtain call still ringing in my ears in the silence of my living room, All of the Stars are Fading Away and I take 10 minutes out and just sit. I sit and think and remember people who have coloured my life and who have engaged my mind and have inflamed my passions and earned my love this past season. It’s the football come down and I enjoy it. I enjoy the thoughts and feelings and noises and smells and hopes and dreams and joy and, in a strange way, the bad times. Only when you experience the lows can you truly appreciate the highs. Be it up or down, stormy or calm, good times or bad, you can be sure that this game will keep you right. You just have to let it in. Wow , who would have thought it eh? The Super League!! The Candy!! Our wee club representing us all, fighting for each other and the community and making a splash. Our club. All of us together. We should all be proud today..... The Roch is arriving and arising. The Candy’s going up! My Candy girl, you let me love you this season and I thank you. You shine a little love on my life. Mon the Candy! MTC! ️ If only you could give 50 green dots!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larky9 Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 Congratulations and well done on your promotion,it will be a lot different in the Championship,which I think they are going to call it next season,as most mistakes get punished,which we found out this season,but it's still a good league where the football is a lot better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larky9 Posted May 15, 2018 Share Posted May 15, 2018 Congratulations and well done on your promotion,it will be a lot different in the Championship,which I think they are going to call it next season,as most mistakes get punished,which we found out this season,but it's still a good league where the football is a lot better Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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